The German commercial aviation industry trade group BDL has appealed to the German government for the launch of pilot projects geared toward lifting transatlantic travel restrictions.
The proposal, which would involve the use of reliable Covid-19 tests and other reciprocal health protection measures, should start at a limited number of airports, BDL spokeswoman Claudia Nehring said. In the U.S.-German market those airports could include Newark, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago O'Hare, Frankfurt and Munich.
"Transatlantic traffic is important for airlines on both sides of the Atlantic," Nehring said. "We are sure that the proposed measures will enable safe passenger air travel between Europe and North America and that the travel restrictions can be gradually lifted."
BDL's request follows a letter written last month by Lufthansa, IAG (parent of British Airways), American and United calling for the launch of testing-based pilot programs. Proper testing, the carriers said, could replace entry prohibitions and quarantine requirements. At present, most people are prohibited from traveling between the U.S. and the EU. Travel from the U.K. to the U.S. is also prohibited, while Americans must quarantine for 14 days following arrival in the U.K.
Meanwhile, numerous world airports have begun offering, or in some cases requiring, Covid-19 tests for passengers arriving from abroad.
Among them is London Heathrow, which on Wednesday announced that it has the capacity to conduct up to 13,000 tests per day in its Terminal 2. Results, the airport said, are available within hours. Heathrow asked the U.K. government to allow those who pass the test to be released from the 14-day quarantine requirement.
In Germany, where travelers coming from high-risk areas, including the U.S., are required to be tested within 72 hours of arrival, testing is already available free of charge at several airports, among them Berlin Tegel, Berlin Schonefeld, Munich, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf.